CSS 2027 written exam application: dates, documents, photo

FPSC published the CSS 2027 schedule in July 2026, and the next step on it is the written examination application: the advertisement is due on 8 November 2026, online applications run from 10 to 25 November, hard copies are due by 4 December, and the written examination starts on 27 January 2027. Only candidates who passed the MPT screening test can apply. This page sets out the schedule, the eligibility rule, what the hard-copy packet contained last year, and the photo upload rule FPSC applies, so you can have the files ready before the window opens. The exact limits for 2027 arrive with the advertisement, and this page will be updated that day.

The CSS 2027 schedule

The written round is the one with real competition for the application window: in the 2026 cycle 63,368 people applied for the MPT, 43,189 appeared and 36,758 passed, and those passers are the pool that applies in November. A 15-day window for that many people is why the portal slows on the last two days; apply in the first week.

Who can apply

Only MPT passers. The MPT result is tied to your CNIC on FPSC’s online system, so the written-exam form will not open for someone who did not pass or did not sit the test. Age, degree and attempt rules were checked at the MPT stage and are restated in the November advertisement; if your circumstances changed (a degree result still pending, for example), read that advertisement before paying the fee, because FPSC fees are not refunded.

The online form and the photo upload

Applications are filed on FPSC’s online system (online.fpsc.gov.pk) against the same login used for the MPT. The form asks for a photograph upload. FPSC’s general guideline for its online applications says the photograph must be less than 30 KB in JPEG format; the MPT notice asked for a recent passport-size photograph. Until the 8 November advertisement says otherwise, prepare a passport-style JPG under 30 KB: head and shoulders, plain background, about 300 by 400 pixels. The FPSC photo page on this site makes that file in the browser and checks the size.

Keep the same photograph for the hard copy. Using one picture for the upload and another for the printed copies is the kind of small discrepancy that invites a query, so print the same file.

The hard-copy packet

Based on the CE-2026 public notice, the packet sent to FPSC Headquarters in Islamabad contains: the signed printout of the online application, attested copies of educational certificates and degrees, CNIC, domicile certificate, photographs, and the paid fee challan. The 2026 fee was Rs 2,200, deposited under head of account C-02101; the 2027 figure and the payment method (bank branch or PSID) will be in the advertisement. Photographs are usually required in more than one copy; prep sites quote four, which FPSC has not confirmed for 2027. Post the packet by courier with tracking so it arrives before 4 December; the date is a receipt deadline, not a posting deadline.

What to prepare this week

1. Your MPT roll number and FPSC login; reset the password now if you have forgotten it.
2. A passport-style JPG under 30 KB, and the same photo printed, at least four copies.
3. Scanned and attested copies of every degree and certificate, CNIC and domicile.
4. A plan for the fee: which bank branch, or a working PSID route, depending on what the advertisement says.
5. A calendar reminder for 10 November (apply) and 1 December (courier the packet).

On 8 November this page will be updated with the exact photo and document rules from the FPSC advertisement.